Learning and Achievement For All

Learning and Achievement for All is our most critical commitment. It represents our promise to provide academic excellence for all.

Our Commitment

Students will strengthen their ability to think critically, communicate their ideas, and demonstrate academic growth.

Impact Goals

Porter Traditional School will increase achievement for all learners, with a particular focus on supporting students with disabilities and English learners. School goals include increasing reading SOL pass rates for students with disabilities and English learners, while also increasing the number of students earning Pass Advanced scores in reading and mathematics across grades 3-8.

Implementation Goals

Through planned opportunities for structured academic conversations, students will strengthen their reading and math skills, demonstrate growth on STAR and Momentum assessments, and engage in learning experiences that require them to explain, justify, and defend their thinking. Teachers will also increase the frequency and quality of student discourse opportunities, with 85% of classrooms demonstrating proficient implementation by the end of the school year.

At Porter, we believe students learn best when they actively engage in academic discourse, explain their thinking, and learn from one another.

This year, we are implementing schoolwide academic conversation routines that will help students participate in meaningful discussions across all content areas. These strategies provide students with regular opportunities to use academic language, support their answers with evidence, ask questions, and build on the ideas of others.

Our Follow-Through

Teachers will also use common sentence stems and schoolwide "Think Sheets" to help students organize their thinking, explain their learning, and demonstrate understanding during daily instruction and assessments. Through collaborative teacher planning, ongoing classroom walkthroughs, and continuous monitoring of student progress, we will ensure that all students regularly engage in academic conversations that support critical thinking, effective communication, and academic growth.